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Tuesday, 30 November 2010

Christmas Presence

Well, December is almost upon us and we are on the home stretch to the big day. Thankfully I finished all my gift shopping this month so I don't have to venture into a shopping centre until after the January sales (I really hate sale shopping, I swear they just wheel racks of miscellaneous tat out as I can never find anything that was in the shops before Christmas).

This year, for the first time, we're not having anyone over for Christmas Day so I can truly relax and enjoy the build up and Buster and Missy's excitement, which is gift enough for me during the festivities. All I have left to do is wrap (another pet hate) and dish out the gifts, write and post the cards (I always say 'next year I'm not doing cards, I'll make a donation to charity instead', it never happens - next year!), do the food shop and purchase and decorate the tree.

I haven't broken out the Christmas songs yet, I find that dark, cosy evenings in with the Phil Spector (I know he's convicted murderer but he certainly knew how to exploit young black singers for his wall of sound!) Christmas Album and a nice mug of cocoa make the gift wrapping process a more enjoyable and festive-feeling experience.

Before we had Missy we used to have a huge real tree in our bay window, this year we're only having a small one and it will be in our dining room as our lounge is overrun with toys and a massive playpen, which is a shame but maybe next year normal service can be resumed.

Buster and Mr Right putting the star
on the top of our tree a couple of years ago

As I've mentioned in other posts, I've been compiling a list of things I love and things I hate, as a general rule Christmas is usually firmly in the 'hate' column as I don't enjoy the sheer organisation it requires, a responsibility that rests firmly on my shoulders, but now that I have finished the shopping and I don't have the stress of hosting the big day I feel I can actually sit back and enjoy the build up vicariously through my kids, after all it's all about them when you become a parent isn't it?

Right, I'm off up into the loft to locate the Advent Calendars, even Missy has one this year! I wish someone would buy me one, I will have to content myself with the countdown chalkboard I bought from Marks and Spencer, it has the 24 days to cross off on one side and on the other is space to write a note to Father Christmas, I know what I will be asking the big man for...

I may have to purchase a bigger stocking!

UPDATE: Mr Right surprised me with an M&S advent calendar today, how sweet, and even better I got to eat the first four chocolates in one go!